Between Generativity and Determination: Understanding Stress across Developmental Stages for Black Women in Social Work PhD Programs

Background and Purpose: Black women in social work PhD programs face distinct challenges at the intersection of racism, sexism, and systematic exclusion. Structural barriers manifest as persistent doubts about scholarly legitimacy, low expectations from faculty and peers, and the pressure of navigating predominantly white academic environments. To cope, many adopt identity management strategies such as code-switching or self-silencing-tactics that, while protective, often increase psychological distress. These barriers and compounding pressures may explain why Black women remain underrepresented in doctoral education, earning fewer than 3% of research doctorates across disciplines. In social work, the absence of disaggregated data on race and gender diminishes BIPOC representation in literature, limiting visibility and access to support and poses challenges in fully capturing this population.

Drawing on the life course perspective, this study explores how age and developmental stage influence the way Black women experience and manage stress. By combining Black Feminist Thought (BFT) with Erickson’s psychosocial theory, we explore how the stages of intimacy vs. isolation and generativity vs. stagnation intersect with systemic oppression and influence stress levels.

Methods: Data were collected through an online Qualtrics survey (N=30) between June and August 2024. Binary logistic regression was conducted to estimate the likelihood of perceived stress based on developmental stage and other factors such as caregiving and relationship status. Model fit was assessed using the Hosmer-Lemeshow test, and multicollinearity was evaluated using variance inflation factors (VIFs). Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. Adjusted odds ratios (AORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were reported to determine the strength and significance of associations. While our sample size (N=30) may appear small, the lack of disaggregated data to establish a baseline prevents assessment of its representativeness.

Results: A Mann-Whitney U test indicated a statistically significant difference in stress scores by developmental stage (U = [45.00], p < 0.007). Participants aged 19 to 29 years reported significantly higher stress scores (Mdn = [28.00]) compared to those aged 30 to 64 years (Mdn = [22.00]) on the Perceived Stress Scale. While both groups experienced elevated stress, younger participant’s median scores were within the range of high perceived stress (score range: 27–40), whereas older participants remained within the moderate stress range (14–26). Binary logistic regression analysis revealed that middle-aged participants had significantly higher odds of endorsing moderate than high-stress levels (AOR = 50.12, p < 0.01). Similarly, participants who were caregivers to children under 18 had 26.94 times higher odds of reporting moderate stress rather than high stress (p < 0.01). Being married was marginally associated with moderate stress levels, nearing statistical significance (p = 0.07).

Conclusions and Implications: Amid intensifying anti-DEI sentiment in higher education, our findings call for immediate action to build more equitable, affirming academic spaces and underscore the urgent need for institutional reform to support Black women in social work doctoral programs. By centering BFT within Erickson’s developmental framework, our study illuminates how stress may manifest across life stages and offers insight into how intuitions can respond more effectively.